Stuck in the Middle
by prettyinpinkgal
Summary: READ AUTHOR'S NOTE! In the midst of the Tribulation, Judd and Mark realize their growing feelings for Vicki. Who will she choose? Takes place at the schoolhouse. JuddxVickixMark
1. Chapter One: Just an Ordinary Day

**Prettyinpinkgal: Hello! This is my first go at a Left Behind fic (other than this one crossover fic I'm doing with Fruits Basket). Please review:)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Left Behind: The Kids. It belongs to Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. So no sueing!**

**STUCK IN THE MIDDLE  
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**CHAPTER ONE: JUST AN ORDINARY DAY**

Vicki Byrne groaned as she awoke in the schoolhouse. The light shining on her face made her squint and cover her head with the blankets. She didn't want to get up today, not with her and Judd fighting.

Yes, they had yet another fight the previous day. The two seemed to be constantly bickering, and it was getting to the point where the others didn't so much as glance up when another fight occured. Sure, they were only teenagers. They weren't expected to be perfect. But the fighting was getting worse and worse, and it was getting to the point that Vicki wanted Judd Thompson tojust disappear for a day or so.

To make matters worse, Mark was getting under her skin as well. He sometimes argued with Vicki, although never as much as Judd. Vicki didn't get as annoyed with him; after all, he just lost his cousin John because of the meteor that hit. But with him challenging her decisions, and with her constantly occuring fights with Judd, the teen was getting really annoyed. At the same time, Vicki felt some guilt. Judd must have felt like this whenever she challenged his actions. _But_, she thought stubbornly, _it's always HIS fault. HE'S the one that always makes me feel like I can't come up with any ideas! _

She understood that Judd was simply trying to do what was best for the group, but wasn't that her goal as well? When Vicki had the vision of the schoolhouse, Judd wouldn't hear of her sending the group there. Although she had been acting crazy when she went to rescue Phoenix, Judd was the one that pushed her to it. And hey, she ended up helping Charlie escape the GC, so it ended up okay.

Judd was now bugging her about allowing Janie, Melinda, and Charlie staying at the old schoolhouse. "Charlie might tell the GC information about us if he's caught again," he had said yesterday.

"Charlie understands that he can't rat us out," Vicki had spat back. "Besides, he's a good guy. Would you please give him a break?"

"Listen, I'm just saying this..."

"...for the good of the group," Vicki finished sarcastically. "What, do you think I can't handle this? Do you think _I _don't worry about the Young Trib Force's safety?"

"Of course not! You're putting words in my mouth. Anyway, maybe Charlie won't talk, but Melinda or Janie would. She's a Morale Moniter, remember, Vick?"

"I know that. But Melinda knows Global Community is after her. She knows they'll kill her sooner or later. Besides, she's stuck with us this long with no issues, except that one time when she ran away, but that was at the beginning. It's been a month since then."

"She might not have to tell on us. Maybe she'll do away with us without having anything to do with the GC. And if Melinda doesn't, Janie will surely spill information over to them if it means she can watch as many music videos as she wants."

"She will not!"

"How do you know, Vicki? You're not God; you don't know what's going through her head..."

"No, I'm not God. But I _do _know that He has a purpose for letting us stay here, and it's _not _to be killed." With that, Vicki had walked away.

Vicki mentally scolded herself. Part of the reason she and Judd would fight so much was because of her attitude. She had given the same attitude to her parents, although for different reasons, as she did now. The thought of her parents overwhelmed Vicki, although it wasn't as painful as it was at the beginning of the Tribulation. Still...

She wiped her eyes and breathed deeply for a few moments to keep the tears away. The girl took out her prayer journal and wrote,

_Dear God, please let Mark, Judd, and I get along better. Help me control my anger, and help me do what's best for everyone._

Vicki hid it in the drawer, then got up and stretched. She hoped God would let the day go fight-free.

* * *

Vicki got dressed and went downstairs. It was already ten in the morning. "Morning," she said, as everyone was already awake. Numerous replies were said with various levels of enthusiasm. Shelly had already prepared pancakes, and everyone was chowing down. She took a seat between Charlie and Mark while Shelly got another plate. Vicki happily ate, filling her empty stomach. Mr. Stein was talking about the Meeting of the Witnesses in Israel, which would occur in a few months. The group encouraged him to go if he could. 

Mr. Stein said, "I will take one or two people with me, although I wish I could take all of you. It will certainly be a remarkable experience."

Janie sighed. "It sounds more like the dullest experience ever," she muttered. The group ignored her.

After a while, Vicki felt someone staring at her. She turned and saw that it was Mark. "What?" she asked.

"N-nothing." He quickly at his pancake, his eyes downcast and his face slightly red.

"Okay. But if you have a problem, you can always talk to me about it," she said, smiling.

"Yeah, okay," Mark said, still looking away from Vicki. She wasn't sure, but she had a feeling something was up.

**Prettyinpinkgal: I know, short chapter. I'm not sure if I'll update soon; I'm not guaranteeing** **anything since I'm such a slow updater u.u" Please review!  
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	2. Chapter Two: Accidentally in Love

**Prettyinpinkgal: Here's the next chapter! Yay! These past couple of chapter titles have been from songs. So I don't own the songs. Thanks to Adeline Courien and Lessien-Elensar for the kind reviews! And thank you to anyone else who has been reading :)  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Left Behind! It belongs to Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins! Get it? Got it? Gooood. XP Don't mind me. I'm just really hyper XD**

**STUCK IN THE MIDDLE**

**CHAPTER TWO: ACCIDENTALLY IN LOVE**

Mark Eisman loved Vicki. When he first met her, he thought she seemed nice enough, but didn't think of her as even really a friend, just an acquaintance. But as he got to know her better, he realized how strong and determined she could be, and how she always tried to do what was best for everyone. He saw how she thought of Ryan as a little brother, and how pained she was whenever Judd shot down her ideas, especially for the schoolhouse. As he got to know her more, the more he began to think of her as a best friend.

Suddenly, things changed. Mark realized how he blushed sometimes when Vicki would smile, or if she would laugh. Even when she wasn't, he still found himself somehow attracted to her. Plus, he had to admit, she was cute.

It wasn't one of those crushes, either. Mark knew in his heart that this was the real deal. He was able to admit it to himself a week or so ago. He was in love.

However, he knew it would be up to God who got Vicki. Mark knew that Vicki liked Judd, maybe even more than liked. And he had a feeling Judd liked her too. But, for some reason, he couldn't stop loving her.

Mark really wanted to tell Vicki how he felt. But how would she react? He knew her well enough to know that she'd let him down as easy as possible, but he wished more than anything that she would love him back. But that was impossible.

He watched as Vicki took a bite of her pancakes. Mark was trying to muster up the courage to tell her how he felt, even if it was in vain. Suddenly, Vicki turned to him.

"What?" she asked, pulling strands of hair behind her ear.

"N-nothing," Mark managed to stutter. He looked at his food and ate another bite. There was _no way _he'd be able to tell her how he felt about her. His face was hot. _Not again_, he thought. He practically blushed more than he prayed!

"Okay. But if you have a problem, you can always talk about me about it," Mark heard her say.

"Yeah, okay," he said. If he kept acting this way, there was no way it would go unnoticed by Vicki.

_Oh, I have a problem, all right. I'm in love with you._

* * *

Judd Thompson watched as Mark got all flustered around Vicki. _Does he like her? _he thought. He shook his head, as if to clear the thought from his head. _No way. Not Mark. He was probably just going to tell her a problem he's been having, but was too embarrassed to say it in front of all of us._

He watched as Vicki looked at him suspiciously, then resumed eating her breakfast, her hair gracefully falling over her ears. He felt his heart skip a beat. _She rejected you, remember? _his conscience chided. _So move on._

But Judd couldn't. His feelings for her hadn't changed since he mentioned how he felt to her that time at Darrion's old home. In fact, they'd grown. But she and him always got into fights. They just wouldn't be compatible.

Vicki and him hadn't talked since the fight yesterday. They were arguing over Charlie, Janie, and Melinda staying (again), which Judd stupidly brought up. _When will I learn?_ he groaned in his mind.

He'd met Vicki the day when he'd woken up and found out some people in the plane he was in had vanished. He had met her at New Hope Church. She looked hardcore, and tried to make herself look older and tougher. But when she spoke, she sounded like someone younger. When he let her live at his house, her appearance changed greatly. She focused on making herself just look her age, and used his mom's old clothes, which could be classified as "preppy".

Oh, Judd had tried telling Vicki even before that time at the Stahley mansion. However, his sentences mainly came out as, "I...oh, never mind. Forget it." He never made it to the second word.

It was because of his frustration that she didn't feel the same, and that he was unable to speak of the subject again, that he argued so much with her. At Z's place, the real reason he didn't want to go to the old schoolhouse wasn't just because he felt it was taking his power away from him, or that he didn't want to break up the Young Trib Force, although they were partly the reasons. It was really because he wanted to go to Darrion's place in Wisconsin, since it seemed like the perfect hideout, but he wanted to be near Vicki.

Judd beat himself up a lot for fighting with Vicki so often. Why couldn't he just accept her ideas? It's not like there was anything wrong with them. _It's not because I want to be in control_, Judd thought. _I just...want what's best for the group! _Even though Judd constantly denied that he liked being the leader, he knew deep down that that was part of the reason for his fights with Vicki.

As everyone started cleaning up, he walked up to Vicki and said, "Hey Vick, can I talk to you for a sec?"

"Um, sure," she said, sounding surprised that he was speaking to her.

"Good." He took her by the hand and led her outside near Felicia's grave.

**Prettyinpinkgal: I don't know why, but I think I like the last chapter better. I guess this ended up pretty short too, huh? Sorry about that. But at least I'm updating quickly! That almost never happens with me, lol! Please press the little button down there and type a little comment. Pretty please? **


	3. Author's Note

**STUCK IN THE MIDDLE**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Oh my goodness, guys, I don't have the words to tell you how sorry I am for this. Not only have I neglected this story for half a decade, but I'm giving it up too! There are a few reasons for this: First off, I realized I DON'T REMEMBER A THING FROM THE SERIES. I was rereading my story and I kept wondering, "Who's Felicia? What's Z's place?" It's been 5 years since I've read the series, and in teenagedom, that's a while! There's also the fact that I'm going to be entering college (!) next month and I'm going to have very limited time to work on my writing, I expect, especially on a story which I have no ideas for. Which leads to another issue: I couldn't just focus on the romantic aspect while ignoring the Tribulation, and that would have required more time and energy than I have.

So I'm giving you guys a chance to take this story over. If you would like to take over this story, please message me. I would hate to leave this story incomplete because you guys have been so wonderful and encouraging. I'm very sorry that I can't complete this story, but if you're at all interested, I'll still be writing a few other FanFiction stories in other categories before I completely focus on my own novels. God bless you guys. I truly appreciate your support. I did not expect such a large audience for this story, and it really does mean a lot to me.

Have a wonderful rest of your summer,

Alyssa


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